


Letter

by orphan_account



Category: A3! (Video Game)
Genre: Babysitting, Domestic Fluff, Gen, How Do I Tag, Other Additional Tags to Be Added
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:07:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24628297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: what if tsumugi's long-lost drive to pursue acting has been fueled once again by somebody else? aka an AU where tsumugi knows how to use technology, well sorta— //slapped
Comments: 1
Kudos: 19





	Letter

Tsumugi was twelve when he got to experience what it feels like to babysit.

It was during summer when Tsumugi's mother brought him to the office party being held in her workplace. He has vague memories of what actually happened that night, save for the unimportant details like being one of the only children that attended the party. The atmosphere was too heavy to bear for Tsumugi that time as adults he never once seen were everywhere, which made him become more withdrawn than usual. 

It didn't really help that the other children who also attended the party were equally as introverted as him. A small area with a kid's table was designated in order for them not to feel "out of place", but somehow the purpose was immediately defeated when every single child went there to eat, only to realize later on that staring at their food would be way more entertaining than actually mingling with each other. The adults rambunctiously laughed every time someone joked around as the children sat in awkward silence, playing the waiting game of letting somebody else speak up first before they decide to do so.

Ultimately, not a single word was uttered in the kid's table until the party ended. It was to be expected, the children all wore the same face—the one that's used when their parents force them to join a party that was only meant for their co-workers. Despite not speaking to each other, they all reached a mutual understanding that they didn't want to be there, and that was made painfully clear.

As everyone said their goodbyes to each other, Tsumugi's mother held him as she squeezed his hand lightly, wordlessly apologizing for dragging him with her. She understood that Tsumugi did not enjoy himself as much as she thought. Tsumugi knowingly squeezed back, as if to tell her that he personally did not really mind and there was nothing to be sorry for.

They were about to leave the office premises when they heard someone call out to his mother, "Tsukioka-san!"

Both Tsumugi and his mother stopped in their tracks as they turned to the owner of the voice, a middle-aged woman who Tsumugi presumed is in her thirties. The woman cleared her throat and deliberately peered at Tsumugi, her eyes narrowing into slits for a split second before she gave an ease smile. "Before you go, may I ask if you're interested in babysitting?"

Standing beside her was a child way younger than Tsumugi. The woman's hand is resting on the child's shoulder, albeit tensely in contrast to the gentle touches of Tsumugi's mother. Wide eyed, the child whipped his head to the woman in visible shock. "No, auntie, it's really okay—"

"Sakuya," The woman cut him off, her smile growing strained. Tsumugi can't help but notice how the woman's grip to the child tightened when he spoke, effectively silencing him. The child quivered on the mere mention of his name, looking down to his feet as he pursed his lips in a feeble attempt to choke back a sob.

That expression was extremely familiar—it was the face of the same child who sat in the farthest corner of the kid's table. The whole duration of the party, Tsumugi was being observant of his own surroundings, so he knew how the child named Sakuya often fidgeted on his own seat. Tsumugi is also aware that the amount of food placed on Sakuya's plate was only at least half as much as the rest of the children got. At first, Tsumugi assumed that Sakuya does not have an appetite that time, but right after seeing the way he scarfed the food down earlier, he figured that wasn't the case. 

Tsumugi saw how Sakuya glanced at the other children's unfinished food every now and then. At times, Sakuya's features would grow determined as his gaze is fixed to the food catering trays at the opposite side of the room, only for him to dejectedly sigh after a few moments as he deflates back to his seat.

Watching Sakuya earlier made Tsumugi somehow confused. He knew something was going on, but he does not have a single idea on what situation he is living with, and what problems he was bearing. Tsumugi wanted to ask what was wrong and how he can help, but he did not have the courage to do such thing, afraid that he may be overstepping his boundaries with a complete stranger. After some time of deliberation, he hesitantly decided against it, overcome by his self-doubt.

Tsumugi's acknowledgement to his own uncertainity made him realize that Sakuya's behavior during the party was also characterized by his own lack of confidence. Sakuya's timid actions coupled with his apparent fear towards the woman already made it evident enough that he did not get to grow up in an environment where he could freely express himself. It was simply not possible when he can't even seem to trust his own aunt, a blood relative.

Suddenly connecting the dots made Tsumugi ashamed. Tsumugi had the privilege to be in a household where everyone is caring and supportive of one another, binded by the trust that built up over time. Tsumugi got to experience what it feels like to be surrounded by people that he could rely on without a second doubt, and yet he was unable to be the dependable person Sakuya needed during the party. Tsumugi was disappointed at his own actions for not taking the extra step earlier to ask Sakuya what was wrong, being overwhelmed by his own shyness when in reality Sakuya does not even have a fraction of Tsumugi's belief in himself.

Tsumugi was always the type to think carefully before he speaks out. However, Tsumugi didn't know what compelled him to answer instinctively, if it was from his internal guilt for not lending a helping hand to Sakuya during the party, from his desire to be a trustworthy figure to the child, or from the pity he felt when he realized that Sakuya may not be in a loving environment.

At that moment, Tsumugi agreed to the proposal without missing a beat.

That night, Tsumugi repeatedly apologized to his mother for accepting the request without consulting her. He has zero experience on babysitting, especially when it comes to children he is not really familiar with. Tsumugi often played and cared for his younger cousins during family reunions, but that doesn't really count as babysitting since they never met on a daily basis and they already knew each other like the back of their hands to tolerate each other's existence.

"It's okay, Tsumugi." His mother constantly reassured him, hugging him tightly as she rubbed soothing circles on his back. "If you really want to, then go for it!"

After an hour of discussion over the telephone, they came to an agreement that Sakuya will be dropped off to the Tsukioka residence at least five times a week, the days when his aunt will be away for work. The babysitting will be for the duration of Tsumugi's summer break, so it would only be a little less than three months before he can go back to his old routine. 

The first day of Tsumugi's babysitting went more smoothly than he expected—although most of the time they were mindlessly doodling the different dog breeds shown on television with Tsumugi's mechanical pencils and old sketchbooks. They paid little attention to the stories behind animal documentaries ran by the channel, the monotone voice of the narrator only serving as background noise to their idle chatter.

"What's the breed of that small dog again?" Sakuya asked out of nowhere, stopping in the middle of drawing what seems to be a dog's tail. Tsumugi hummed inquisitively at the sudden question, slightly cocking his head to the side as he glanced at Sakuya. "Are you talking about the chihuahua?"

"No! The breed I am talking about doesn't have bulging eyes!" Sakuya exclaimed, shaking his head. From what he said, Tsumugi playfully pulled the sides of his eyelids with his fingers to make his eyes uncharacteristically round and wide. With a mischievous grin, he turned to Sakuya, unblinking. "You mean their eyes are not like this?"

Sakuya shook his head more vigorously this time, a fit of giggles bursting out on his lips from Tsumugi's comical expression. "Definitely not!"

Tsumugi beamed at the sight of Sakuya getting easily amused at the small antics he puts up every now and then. It felt pleasant to be somebody else's source of joy, no matter how simple the reason behind it was, even though it may only last for a fleeting moment. Tsumugi allowed himself to relish in that feeling of accomplishment, the same emotion he gets when he finishes his gardening duties for the day—he experiences that kind of warmth on a daily basis, but it doesn't make the sensation any less important to him.

Still giggling, Sakuya looked at Tsumugi as he grinned from ear to ear, his eyes glinting with glee. "I'm talking about the ones that have floppy ears! I mean your dog!"

Tsumugi perks up in recognition. "Oh, you're talking about Zabi?" He hums in acknowledgement, taking a quick glance at Zabi's leash hanging by the coat rack. Tsumugi subconsciously pondered on where Zabi is—he was probably roaming around the garden or keeping his grandmother company. "Zabi is a dachshund."

"Yup!" Sakuya nods eagerly, putting the mechanical pencil down to the table. He then pointed at the biggest doodle he drew, which was right at the middle of the page. "Look at this, I drew a dashad—"

He bit his tongue as he tripped over the word he was trying to say, pursing his lips in embarrassment. Tsumugi watched Sakuya as he paused, taking a deep breath before taking a second attempt on saying the word, "I drew a dansha—"

Sakuya's eyebrows furrowed as he frowned at himself, unable to properly pronounce a complicated word that he learned just moments ago. His eyes darted everywhere except on Tsumugi's eyes, cheeks growing pink from self-consciousness. Tsumugi gazed at him in encouragement, softly pumping his fists in the air and whispered, "Sakuya, you can do it! Third time's the charm!"

"I drew Zabi!" Sakuya blurted out the dog's name instead, already giving up on his struggle to say the dog's actual breed. Tsumugi took a close look to the drawing Sakuya was pointing at, allowing a tiny chuckle to escape his lips as he noticed how Sakuya drew Zabi's legs to be extremely stubby and his body rounder than he actually is. Sakuya's drawing was typical of a child's as expected, but somehow Tsumugi still found it endearing. Tsumugi patted Sakuya's head for his efforts, "You did well!"

"Thank you!" Sakuya's mouth broke into a wide grin from the compliment, practically leaning on Tsumugi's touch like an affectionate puppy. It was as if it was his first time to experience being showered in praises, and he wanted to drown himself in those uplifting words for as long as he is able to.

Tsumugi patted him for a little longer, finding his features quite adorable as he compared it to the timid expression he wore during the party. It was such a huge contrast, Tsumugi wouldn't have known that the child in front of him was the same person as the one he met yesterday—his attitude was vastly different from what he initially assumed.

After a few more moments, Tsumugi let go of Sakuya's head. There was a hint of disappointment in Sakuya's eyes when Tsumugi pulled back, however in an instant his eyes went back to being normally wide and curious. Tsumugi blinked in bewilderment—was he only imagining things? Before he could even think about it, Sakuya leaned to Tsumugi's sketchbook excitedly. "Do you have a drawing of Zabi? I want to see!"

"I think I have one from earlier?" Tsumugi answers, unsure if he actually did. He flipped over the pages of his sketchbook, pausing in each one as he went over the doodles they drew for the past hours. Tsumugi would be lying if he said he wasn't surprised—he never realized that he already used up a lot of pages in the span of a short time.

After what seemed like forever, Tsumugi released an audible gasp of recognition as he pointed around the bottom right corner of the page he was on. "Sakuya, look! I drew Zabi."

Enthusiastic, Sakuya leaned to Tsumugi as he peered at the portion where Tsumugi was pointing at. "That's..." Sakuya trailed off, grabbing the sketchbook from Tsumugi's hands while squinting his eyes so he can scrutinize Tsumugi's drawings more closely. "That's not Zabi."

Tsumugi looked at his sketchbook to double check if he got it wrong, but it was indeed a drawing of Zabi. What was wrong? Getting baffled, he turned to Sakuya, whose expression was slowly starting to mirror his. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Sakuya simply stared at Tsumugi's doodle. He scratched his head, the confusion etched on his face growing more apparent. "I think that looks more like a balloon dog..."

That day, Tsumugi learned that Sakuya's last name was Sakuma, though they decided to call each other by their first names since they hit it off more easily than he thought. Sakuya was only four years old, making Tsumugi more or less eight years older than him. Knowing Sakuya's age amazed Tsumugi to say the least—everything about Sakuya was so much smaller than his, right from his height down the the size of his fingers. He appears so fragile, Tsumugi is scared that he might hurt Sakuya with only a touch if he was not being careful.

Sakuya mentioned that he never got to know who his real parents are, all he knew was that he moved from relative to relative. As far as he could remember, he was ignored by the people in the house he was in most of the time. Sakuya even told Tsumugi that he didn't know what he did wrong that made them turn a blind eye on him, but in the off-chance that he learns what it is, he is determined to correct it as soon as possible so his distant relatives can treat him the same way they do to their own children.

Sakuya revealed a lot about himself despite only knowing Tsumugi for one day, finding it in himself to trust him even though they barely knew each other. On the other hand, Tsumugi found solace in Sakuya's presence—it was the same kind of emotion he felt whenever he is left in his own devices, spending the day in the comforts of their family garden. 

There's unmistakeably a bond that formed between them—it was something intangible yet considerably more prominent than all of the connections they had with other people so far.

And in the back of Tsumugi's mind, he subconsciously thought to himself that there's no way he is letting go of something this special.

**Author's Note:**

> pls tell me i am not the only one who thinks that tsumugi's doodle of zabi lowkey looks like a balloon dog LMAO anyways thank you for reading!! may or may not continue, let's see about that :-)


End file.
